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Circular 1242

3. Background

The 2001-2005 NEHRP Strategic Plan (FEMA, in press) stresses the importance of post-earthquake investigations. NEHRP has long supported post-earthquake investigations including efforts in the earth sciences, engineering, and socioeconomic disciplines. Improved coordination is necessary if these investigations are to maximize learning through the sharing of information. Because the USGS has the statutory responsibility and authority under Public Law 101-614 to conduct post-earthquake investigations, the Strategic Plan tasks NEHRP under the leadership of the USGS to (1) examine the roles and responsibilities of the various groups involved in post-earthquake investigations and (2) develop a NEHRP protocol action plan as well as a funding mechanism for investigations following major domestic and foreign earthquakes. According to the Strategic Plan, the NEHRP protocol action plan should detail the degree of coordinated learning desired, how those findings will be obtained, and how findings can be most effectively disseminated to all stakeholders in a comprehensive, multidisciplinary NEHRP report. The objectives of the present plan are to improve coordination during post-earthquake investigation efforts, minimize duplication of efforts, identify activities that could be supported with additional resources (such as disaster funds from FEMA or supplemental appropriations), and maximize the opportunity to learn from both domestic and foreign earthquakes.

To develop the NEHRP protocol action plan, the USGS requested the assistance of the Applied Technology Council (ATC) of Redwood City, California, under USGS cooperative agreement 1434-WR-97-AG-00015, ATC-35. ATC organized a multidisciplinary 7-member committee to draft the plan and a multi-institutional oversight committee to review the plan. Input was solicited from experienced post-earthquake investigators and NEHRP agencies at an invitational workshop held March 13-14, 2001, in Menlo Park, California. The workshop was jointly sponsored with EERI. Based on input from the workshop, a draft plan was prepared. In addition to the review by the oversight committee, comments were solicited from the general post-earthquake investigation community on a draft posted on the ATC Web site. The present plan is the result of this manifold input and comment process.

| Contents | Summary | Purpose | Background | Plan | Recommendations | Annual Review |


| Abbreviations | Domestic Earthquakes | Foreign Earthquakes |

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